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Ok, Andy. I'm finished.I let the urge of "pig talk" out of my system.Pigs and I are so similar and I get excited, you know.

Bach to topics that originally intended for this thread.Andy, How did you come up with M&HRR? I understand that it was a British outline layout first but did you have to change a lot of track arrangements when you decided to go an American outline?I'm especially interested in Cherry Valley area. Actually I don't even know the length of the section. I'm guessing 6-8'?

By the way, you should hire Rich as mechanical foreman for new Cherry Valley engine house.I heard that he is quite expensive to hire though.

Also I heard rumor that a new pig, I mean cat emblem loco is in service already.Is that true?

Well originally, the layout was set up to be a British diesels layout set in western London, during the era of Network SouthEast. Trains would leave the fiddle yard (now Blue Haven yard), and come under a London main road through Westwood station, passing Westwood depot on the left. They would then go into a tunnel under St James' Church, and emerge through Saxton station and disappear again off to another small fiddle yard (which became South Pine).

Quickly I realised that most of the time, trains were "off stage", and only appeared on a scenic section for around 20 seconds before disappearing again. In fact my full length High Speed Train would only be on a scenic section for around six seconds! This was not what I wanted. I quickly lost interest.

In the meantime, I decided I would build a 4 x 2 layout to practice my scenic skills. This would live in my living room, while Westwood lived in the shed. I wanted something entirely different and decided I'd have a woodlands layout somewhere in the USA. The layout became known as "Crane Heights" after Dr Frasier Crane, from my favourite sit-com.

I enjoyed doing the scenery on this little layout, and by the time it was finished, I had four or five locos. I had CSX, UP, BN, DRGW. I thought that the area would be Colorado, to try and take in all these different companies. Then, by chance, I read an article online by someone who had created their own company, and ran their locos alongside those of the bigger more well known companies.. I loved the idea! It's so unlike anything us Brits do on our British layouts. I was able to have my own company, own colour scheme and my trains would run how I wanted.

I decided I'd start the line which had trackage on my layout in Colorado and found the name Montrose. But where would the other end be? I didn't want a short line. I wanted a "not quite Class 1" length of line, so I extended it through Kansas, Missouri, Illinois (where there would be a large mid point yard in Chicago), Indiana and finally a large locomotive repair works in Ohio. I found the name of a town called "Highland" in Ohio. Montrose and Highland. Two Scottish sounding names which appealed. And so the Montrose and Highland Railroad was named.

I soon got a bit bored of watching my trains going round and round in a loop on Crane Heights, and it had achieved its purpose of helping me build woodlands, a river bridge, a river and rock faces. I looked at Westwood in the shed. Those British locos ran really poorly in comparison to Kato, Atlas and the rest on Crane Heights. How about scrapping Westwood and turning it into a larger American layout?

I was quickly convinced. I decided that there would be NO FIDDLE YARDS on the new layout. I would do my "fiddling" in full view, as it wasn't going to be an exhibition layout, and I would make the yards fully scenic.

At this point, the wife and I had just got married in Ohio. She was going to be coming to live with me in England. I decided to name the three different areas on the layout with different names. "Blue Haven" would be the renamed Paddington fiddle yard. I thought the name would be an idyllic sounding name for a dirty Ohio freight yard. "Cherry Valley" would be the middle board. This was the name of the hotel where we were married. "South Pine" would be the name of the smaller fiddle yard, named after the street my wife was living on, in Ohio, before we were married.

Not only that, I thought I would put one of the boards in a different state, so it would appear the length of line would be longer. So South Pine was placed in Indiana, while the other two were in Ohio.

The original track layout was more or less left the same, just to get trains running. I liked it. No, I loved it! Over the years, I have changed quite a few things with all three areas, but that really, is the way the layout came into being.

A failed Network SouthEast layout became a very enjoyable American layout in the American MidWest.

The layout became known as "Crane Heights" after Dr Frasier Crane, from my favourite sit-com.

AndyUK

Yes, I loved the "Frasier" show as much as I loved "Cheers" One of the funniest lines ever was during Frasier's bachelor party at Cheers

Sorry Andy for stealing your thread. And for the background information on your layout.

Now I have one question and I've seen the term used a lot, but don't understand it's meaning "British outline" Here in the states we have G scale, O scale, S scale, HO scale, TT scale, N scale and Z scale. Narrow gauge modelers exists in all scales except maybe Z scale and denote they are modeling narrow gauge by indicating the gauge width after the modeling scale. Examples HOn3, On30... where HOn3 is HO scale narrow gauge 3 foot between the rails, On30 is O scale narrow gauge 30" between the rail heads. What exactly does British outline mean?

I've built a new locomotive facility at Cherry Valley. It's smaller than the original one that was here, but I like this one better. It's a repainted kit of Japanese origin. Also, I've changed the trackwork slightly. I've lost space for two locos but it's now less cramped, and easier to see the locos on shed. I prefer it.

Actually I wanted to ask you something, in your capacity as an engineer. I have a sanding tower for a single track. Would you be more likely to find the sanding tower next to a road going into the depot, or on the road leading to the fuelling station? Or would it likely be on a siding on its own? I am a bit pushed for space, and wondered where best to put it.

I really like the colour of building.It came out exceptionally well!!I think it is a nice size on the site.I even like a track that stub ended in front of the engine shed.

You should hire Rich as a superintendent of mechanical department on M&HRR.I heard that he's a quite expensive to hire but good for the company.(I believe a few million dollars a year would do.) I'm eagerly awaiting for next M&HRR live video!

Actually I wanted to ask you something, in your capacity as an engineer. I have a sanding tower for a single track. Would you be more likely to find the sanding tower next to a road going into the depot, or on the road leading to the fuelling station? Or would it likely be on a siding on its own? I am a bit pushed for space, and wondered where best to put it.

AndyUK

Hi Andy, I'm not an engineer, I'm a locomotive electrician I fix what the engineers (train drivers) break

As for your question, you'll find the sand tower at the fuel rack, they are both done at the same time. There is also usually a hose for adding engine oil and a water hose for adding water to the cooling system.

Here are a couple of examples of simple engine servicing pads.

I think if you combine the sand tower in the first picture with the fuel racks in the second picture, you'd have the perfect engine service pad. Then just place your engine service pad on the same tracks as your engine house and you'll be set to service your locomotives.

Thank you for that Rich; and please accept my apologies for the mistake with your occupation!

The photos certainly have given me some ideas. My sand tower only has one outlet hose, so I'm going to put it on the entrance to my fuelling area. This is actually a little way away from the depot building. In my photo above, look at where the Citirail and Ferromex locos are in the background. They are both fuelling up.

Locos come to the depot, and first go to fuel, in around 9 cases out of 10. After that, they go either for stabling or further maintenance in the depot building. Perhaps now, they'll go for sand, water and engine oil, while they are fuelling! Then they can go for stabling or maintenance.

Thank you for that Rich; and please accept my apologies for the mistake with your occupation!

The photos certainly have given me some ideas. My sand tower only has one outlet hose, so I'm going to put it on the entrance to my fuelling area. This is actually a little way away from the depot building. In my photo above, look at where the Citirail and Ferromex locos are in the background. They are both fuelling up.

Locos come to the depot, and first go to fuel, in around 9 cases out of 10. After that, they go either for stabling or further maintenance in the depot building. Perhaps now, they'll go for sand, water and engine oil, while they are fuelling! Then they can go for stabling or maintenance.

AndyUK

Hi Andy, no need for apologies and you're very welcome. Also as an FYI, here in the states locomotives are not sent to the engine house for stabling. Locomotives are sent to the engine house for maintenance or repair. Here in the States locomotives are sent to the engine house every 92 days for Routine Maintenance, to replace worn items such as the brake shoes, also changing the various filters, renewing the traction motor brushes on DC traction motors and testing the safety equipment. Locomotives are also sent to the engine house for repair. Repairs can be for anything and everything, including new power assemblies for the diesel engine, a new air compressor, new traction motors, new main alternator or simple things like replacing burnt out relays and switch gear. Very basic items like changing a burnt out light bulb would be taken care of at the fuel and sand rack. Once a locomotive has been fueled and it does not need any type of repair, it is placed on a ready track. If a locomotive does need repaired it is send from the fuel rack to the engine house. Once repairs are complete the locomotive is placed on a ready track. I hope this brief explanation helps in your modeling of a locomotive servicing facility? On a side note, here is the locomotive servicing facility where I work,

I have been making trees for the forest on Cascade in the last fortnight. Just up the road from me is a football pitch, surrounded by hawthorn bushes. At this time of year, the heads, where the flowers normally go, are all dead, and make excellent tree armatures. Watch out for the little thorns though.

I took the secateurs and cut a polythene bag's worth, and brought it home.

Here is my method for making the trees :

Take a piece of the hawthorn, and after prickling yourself a few times, trim it to a general tree shape. Take some Woodland Scenics green poly fiber material and tear off a section. Incidentally a bag of this is an excellent investment as you can make it last ages, and it will also be used for other scenic effects as well! Stretch it out really thinly, and then drape it over the hawthorn. Take some cheap hairspray, tacky glue or in my case, spray varnish, whatever you have handy. Spray the tree outside (the model one, not literally a tree in your garden!) Bring it inside and liberally cover it with Woodland Scenics fine turf in the green or Autumn colour of your choice. Do this over a container so that you catch the extra and can then reuse it.

Leave the tree to dry in a scrap piece of polystyrene, preferably outside because of the smell, for about half an hour. After this time, the smell has probably disappeared. Then go to the layout with a whole bunch of them and poke a hole in the hillside or landscape with either a drill or a screwdriver. Put some superglue around the end of the tree trunk and glue it in place.

This is what I did. I will post photos probably tomorrow, if I get chance.

Thank you for a detail explanation of tree making! I'm appreciated the fact that using natural materials.It comes handy for lower budget guy like me.I'm looking forward to seeing the pictures of your new woodland!!